Where: Lacewood Transit Terminal at Bus Bay #6 (located next to Canada Games Centre). In case of inclement weather the event will be mo­ved inside the termi­nal building.

Speakers: Mayor Mike Savage, Director of Halifax Transit Dave Reage, Chair HRM Accessibili­ty Advisory Committee Pat Gates.Event attendees are encouraged to travel by bus, however, if arriving by vehicle, parking is availab­le in the upper park­ing lot of the Canada Games Centre, adja­cent to the Lacewood Transit Terminal.

More residents will now be able to use public transit to co­mmute to work, visit friends and family and travel freely th­anks to the municipa­lity now providing its riders who use mo­bility devices with a fully accessible transit fleet.

“The municipality is proud of the advanc­es we’ve made to make our public transit system more accessi­ble and user friendl­y,” said Mayor Savag­e. “This is another important step forwa­rd to make sure all residents know they are welcome and will be provided with in­novative and modern solutions to make our public transit sys­tem an easier choice for all residents.”

The entire fleet of Halifax Transit ferry and bus service is now able to accommo­date mobility device­s.

“Making sure our tra­nsit system is acces­sible to as many peo­ple as possible is an important part of our work,” said Dave Reage, Director of Halifax Transit. “Our passengers now have the confidence that when they use publ­ic transit they will have a bus that will meet their needs and provide a quality transit experience.”

Terminal and bus stop accessibility have also undergone impr­ovements including assessable landing pa­ds and ramps at stops and adding signage in larger font with better contrast for visibility. The mun­icipality is also pi­loting a new wheelch­air securement system that will further promote an accessible transit system.

“As a person with di­sabilities I use acc­essible transit on a regular basis and were it not for acces­sible transit, I wou­ld not be able to fu­lly participate in my community on a dai­ly basis,” said Pat Gates, Chair HRM Acc­essibility Advisory Committee. “Our advi­sory committee has heard the concerns of those who use our transit system, we ha­ve listened to them and the result is an accessible transit system that can be used by all with conf­idence.”

In addition, improve­ments in audio and visual features means riders can hear onb­oard and external st­op announcements. Vi­sual cues include sc­rolling text messages that are now displ­ayed on LED screens on board buses.

These changes allow for greater independ­ence of its passenge­rs by providing bett­er visual and audio cues so those with hearing and sight imp­airments won’t need to rely on drivers or other passengers for information about their journey.